Chemiluminescence behavior based on oxidation reaction of rhodamine B with cerium(IV) in sulfuric acid medium

The chemiluminescence (CL) of the rhodamine B (RhB)-cerium(IV) system was investigated by flow-injection. Rhodamine B was suggested to be a suitable chemiluminescent reagent in acidic conditions. When the concentration of rhodamine B was 100 mg l⁻¹ and cerium sulfate was 1.6 mmol l⁻¹ in sulfuric acid, the chemiluminescent intensity was found to be highest by using 0.3 mol l⁻¹ sulfuric acid as a carrier solution. The particular chemiluminescent system could tolerate such distinct acidic environments that it was utilized for detecting many compounds that are stable in acidic solutions. Furthermore, by virtue of IR, UV-Vis and luminescence spectroscopic measurements, the chemiluminescent behavior of rhodamine B was studied and a possible mechanism for this chemiluminescent reaction was proposed. The emitter was affirmed to be a radical species due to one of the oxidation products of RhB; the chemiluminescent emissive wavelength was about 425 nm.